Programs

Funding Opportunities:

Past Programs:

Japan-America Collegiate Exchange Travel Program

Re-Opened under the JF Japanese Studies Program on March 15th, 2012. For more details, please visit JFNY's website.

Funding opportunity:

Institutional funding, Intellectual

Funding period:

N/A

Funding maximum:

$2,500 per student and project director (organizer) plus $3500 for group expenses

Contact:

Please see JF Japanese Studies website

Program Detail

As of March 15, 2012 this program has shifted to the Japan Foundation Japanese Studies Division. Please go to their webpage for details.

The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP) is pleased to announce a new initiative stemming from the Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting in November 2010. This new initiative intends to facilitate exchange and understanding between Japan and the U.S. by making travel funds available for students at the undergraduate level. Instructors teaching a Japan-related course at U.S. universities or colleges are invited to apply for a grant to help fund a short-term study-tour to Japan. Study-tours should be incorporated into course syllabi and itineraries arranged to build-on and enrich course contents. The goal is to provide students with firsthand experience that will allow them to gain a more nuanced and balanced understanding of Japan..

Eligibility

U.S.-based universities and colleges

Requirements

1. Applying institutions are ultimately responsible for all organizational aspects of the visit to Japan, including but not limited to the following:

Preparing appropriate course-related itinerary

Making reservations

Managing appointments

Conducting the tour

Securing other financial resources as needed

Any visit supported through this grant program must be organized as a group study-tour comprised of students taking the same undergraduate level Japan-related course . Each group must have at least five (5) student participants and the Japan stay must include a minimum of five (5) days of course-related activities.

2. The faculty member teaching the course is required to serve as the “project director” and is responsible for all practical academic and logistical aspects of the application. Project directors will preferably have a PhD or terminal degree in their field; teach Japan-related courses; and must accompany their students on the trip. There is no nationality requirement for the project director.

If the project director and organizing institution deem it necessary to have an additional individual or individuals attend the study-trip, only one (1) individual may act as a project director, any additional individuals will be considered a “chaperone”.

Costs incurred due to accident, theft, etc. are the responsibility of the project director and the organizing institution and not CGP.

3. The applying institution, in conjunction with the project director, is responsible for selecting appropriate students to participate in the program. Students must have either U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent residency status.

4. The study-tour itinerary must be structured around the course in which the students are currently enrolled. It must include the following components:

A minimum of two (2) academic-oriented lectures related to the course content and suitable for undergraduate students.

Visits to historical sites, museums, and other institutions and locales that enhance the understanding of Japanese culture

5. Student are required to submit an individual essay, minimum of 1000 words, based on their stay in Japan upon completion of the trip. The project director will be responsible for collecting the essays and including them as one component of the final report to CGP. Some of the essays may be posted on CGP’s website.

If the study-tour includes a stay in Tokyo, a visit to CGP Tokyo is appreciated. For CGP Tokyo’s location, please see the following link.

Priorities

Travel itineraries appropriately planned to enhance course syllabus

Travel itineraries broadening the understanding of Japan, not reinforcing stereotypes

Travel itineraries highlighting close collaboration with Japanese counter-parts

Lectures with strong academic foundations

Grant Coverage

1. CGP can provide up to US$2,500 per student to help defray individual expenses for the following items only:

Round trip international flight between the United States and Japan

Accommodations

Domestic transportation within Japan

Overseas travel insurance

2. CGP can provide up to US$2,500 for the project director, to help defray individual expenses for the same items mentioned in #1 above. If it is deemed necessary to have an additional chaperone, CGP may provide up to US$2,500 for one (1) chaperone only to help defray individual expenses for the same items mentioned in #1 above.

3. CGP can provide up to US$700 per group per day, to help defray group expenses of up to five (5) days of course-related activities for the following items only:

Honoraria for lecturers

Hiring an interpreter

Hiring a mini-bus for local transportation

Other expenditures, such as meals, entrance tickets to historical sites or museums, bus or local train tickets, etc., cannot be covered by funding from this grant program.